Some perspective from Anthony Dion

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Barack Obama’s Inauguration Celebration Something Special

Perhaps lost in all the sports action this weekend was one of the best things I’ve ever witnessed on television or in person. On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of people gathered including many celebrities to begin the festivities of Barack Obama’s Inauguration on the Lincoln Memorial. The two hours of songs and short speeches were excellent but the best part — and perhaps the most moving thing I’ve ever seen — was a five minute piece put together by the government (I have no idea what part exactly was in charge of the production of this event).

The piece, read wonderfully by Tom Hanks, was on Abraham Lincoln and the challenges he faced preserving our great democracy while President. Honestly, it put tears in my eyes at 12 in the afternoon when I had just got done eating breakfast and watching a taped Syracuse vs. Notre Dame game. In short, at a time when I wasn’t thinking about being moved by anything.

And here was this piece on arguably our nation’s greatest President, as well done as anything put together on him in the past, with an orchestra interlude that made you feel every word that Hanks said. It was so amazing, whether it was possible or not, it made Lincoln go up like 10 pages in your book.

I just think it was incredibly well done. This entire weekend of events has been so well produced by our government that gives hope to what will be done to overcome the hardships that our country currently faces.

I know the events that will come to pass on Tuesday, January 20th, in just two short days will go down in history as one of the greatest moments in not only the history of our nation, but in the World’s history. It’s a moment that I wish I had the good fortune of being in Washington D.C. to witness in person so that I could, at the very least, go to my grave with that wonderful experience. Just to be there, to witness the excitement of five million people all gathered to celebrate one occasion; the hope that we all have for this great nation’s future; the celebration of MLK Jr.’s dream coming to fruition… it would just be incredible. Definitely a once in a lifetime event that you will always cherish.

I just want to say, as a lover of history, that it’s times like this that you see the best of our nation. When we reflect on our nation’s history, how far we’ve come and yet how far we still have to go…it just really moves me. And I really just wanted to comment on this day and how much I love it.

I hope all of you have a chance to watch this event and the actual inauguration on Tuesday.